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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. staff — employees
  10. game — wild animals
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wound — an injury
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. game — a match
  24. prune — the fruit

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