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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — size or range
  3. drill — army training
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — the tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — a practice
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. perch — the fish

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