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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. snap — to click
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. swing — to play on
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — all right
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. club — for golf
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. swing — in golf
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — to be able to

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