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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. land — to come down
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — a safe
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — ground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. date — the fruit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — to trim
  24. land — a country

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