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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — the fish
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — the most important part
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — for a lock
  24. prune — the fruit

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