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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. track — a song
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a document
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — to keep track
  19. file — a line of people
  20. track — a path
  21. staff — employees
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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