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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — to eat
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — a gift
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for dancing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. spell — magic
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spell — letters
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. sharp — clever

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