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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: date · cue · pitcher · kid · perch · suit · prune · lash

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kid — child
  8. cue — a signal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cue — for pool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. date — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — to fit

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