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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. last — final
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — in music
  7. last — to go on
  8. roll — a list
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. last — finally
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. scale — size or range

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