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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. deal — to handle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. clip — a video
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. clip — for paper
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — a group
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for golf

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