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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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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: kick · prune · mate · scale · rush · stand · perch · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — to bear
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — in football
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — to trim
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. scale — in music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. prune — the fruit

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