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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for dancing
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. club — a group
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — of water
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. club — for golf
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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