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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. date — the fruit
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — in control
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. toast — bread
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pound — a weight
  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