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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — to protest
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. object — an aim
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mate — to breed
  16. perch — the fish
  17. content — the amount
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. content — happy
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — the fish
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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