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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — to trim
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pass — a permit
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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