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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. race — a contest
  3. pop — soda
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pop — to visit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stand — to bear
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. race — humankind
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pop — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wake — a trail
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. plane — in geometry

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