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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — the fish
  8. ground — crushed
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — in a race
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ground — a position
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stem — of a plant

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