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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pop — to visit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a hole
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pop — music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — for a bird
  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