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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · cabinet · pitcher · stand · fall · fine · prune · perch

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. club — a group
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stand — to bear
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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