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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. track — a song
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. date — the fruit
  11. track — to keep track
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. court — of law
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. track — a path
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — a tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. prune — the fruit

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