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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rash — a series
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. season — of the year
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. season — in sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ruler — for measuring

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