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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. date — the fruit
  8. plane — a tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. content — the amount
  12. perch — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bat — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mug — a face
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — happy

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