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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. perch — the fish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — shares
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. swing — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — goods
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cue — a hint

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