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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mate — a partner
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mate — to breed
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spell — letters
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — shares
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mate — a friend
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — goods
  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