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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — what's left
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rest — a break
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pop — soda
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — a trace
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wind — moving air
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to drill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bore — gave birth

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