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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — a measure
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — for pool
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fan — a supporter

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