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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. pit — a hole
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. squash — the sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — to grow
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. squash — to crush
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pit — in a race
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stock — shares
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stock — goods
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wax — in the ear
  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