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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chip — to eat
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mouse — for a computer

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