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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: lie · prune · roll · perch · club · rock · date · pitcher

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. club — a group
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. roll — a list
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — for dancing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. roll — a cake
  17. club — for golf
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rock — a stone
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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