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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tube — a container
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — for a lock
  7. craft — a skill
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. track — a song
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. key — in music
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. craft — boats
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. track — a path
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — to handle

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