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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — the fish
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. land — ground
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. land — to come down
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. land — a country
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. snap — to click
  24. pitch — completely

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