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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. present — the time now
  10. land — to come down
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. land — ground
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. land — a country
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rest — a break
  23. perch — for a bird
  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