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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. shower — to wash
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. can — to be able to
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — for pool
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cue — a hint
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. bass — low music
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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