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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. object — a thing
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — to come down
  6. scale — size or range
  7. perch — the fish
  8. scale — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. net — for catching
  18. land — ground
  19. object — to protest
  20. land — a country
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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