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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rock — music
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — a stone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — hasty
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rash — a series
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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