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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chest — of your body
  6. track — a song
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. track — a path
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — a trace
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chest — a box
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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