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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. march — the month
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ground — a position
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stem — to come from
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bound — certain
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — music
  24. fork — in a road

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