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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cue — a signal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — for catching
  10. file — a document
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — to come down
  13. cue — a hint
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. land — a country
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. land — ground
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cue — for pool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. prune — the fruit

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