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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — in sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a partner
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mug — to rob
  19. net — after costs
  20. mug — a face
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a great time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. net — for catching

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