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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — a stone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. shower — rain

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