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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rock — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — a stone
  16. roll — a list
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. pitch — completely
  24. perch — for a bird

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