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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. roll — a list
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rock — music
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. roll — a cake
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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