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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: pit · mouse · craft · land · prune · perch · bark · staff

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. land — ground
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. perch — the fish
  8. craft — boats
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pit — in a race
  13. staff — a stick
  14. craft — a skill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. land — a country
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — to come down
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — to shout

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