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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. perch — the fish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a path
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. track — to keep track
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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