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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. content — happy
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — finally
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fall — to drop
  15. date — the fruit
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. last — final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — to go on
  22. pass — a permit
  23. perch — the fish
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com