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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: stock · foot · mate · rash · prune · present · perch · bowl

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — a gift
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. rash — hasty
  14. present — the time now
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. present — there
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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