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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. object — a thing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — completely
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. object — to protest
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — an aim
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. perch — the fish

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