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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — an aim
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — to protest
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bass — low music
  13. stand — to bear
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — a thing
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — for catching

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