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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — a group
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for golf
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ground — crushed
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — hurry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — bread
  24. rush — a thrill

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