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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.

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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rule — government
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. squash — to crush
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — rain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. perch — the fish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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