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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — a permit
  6. present — the time now
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. track — to keep track
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a song
  16. present — there
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — a gift
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. track — a path
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chip — to eat
  24. hide — animal skin

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