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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 your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. band — a ring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. perch — the fish
  16. band — a music group
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. foot — the bottom

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