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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — a path
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — the fish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. swing — in golf
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — a song
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. swing — to play on
  17. drill — the tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — for pool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. swing — music
  24. cue — a signal

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