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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — exactly
  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