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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. chest — of your body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fork — in a road
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chest — a box
  19. pop — soda
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — music
  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