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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — ground
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — to come down
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. prune — to trim
  8. suit — clothes
  9. perch — the fish
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — a country
  22. pass — a permit
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. perch — for a bird

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