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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — there
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — a gift
  19. rock — music
  20. present — the time now
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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