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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 120 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mug — a face
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. prune — to trim

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