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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chest — a box
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. chest — of your body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pop — to visit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pop — soda
  17. chest — of your body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — a part of something

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