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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fine — high quality
  5. court — of law
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — all right
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. deal — to handle
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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