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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pop — music
  5. land — to come down
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — a country
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — the fish
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. land — ground
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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