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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mug — a face
  8. face — to confront
  9. mug — to rob
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. face — part of the head
  17. scale — in music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. scale — size or range
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. scale — for weighing

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