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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 120 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitch — completely
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. vault — a safe

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