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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
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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: scale · stand · bark · perch · date · bound · prune · kick

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kick — in football
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — to trim
  11. scale — in music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bound — tied together
  19. perch — the fish
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. prune — to trim

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