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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. key — the most important part
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. branch — a division

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