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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — music
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bat — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pop — to visit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pound — for dogs
  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