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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — the time now
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. capital — money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — there
  22. capital — a city
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — to trim

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