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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — a group
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for golf
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. game — a match
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — a permit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. scale — for weighing

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