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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — in music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — to fit
  12. file — a line of people
  13. march — music
  14. file — a document
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. suit — in cards
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. scale — size or range
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a tool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stock — goods

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