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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — in a road
  3. field — farmland
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — a group
  7. field — for sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — the fish
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. field — a subject
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lie — an untruth

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