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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bank — for money
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — a price
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — to get on
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. charge — in control
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — of a river
  17. charge — electricity
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. board — a committee
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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