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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 116 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: perch · ground · object · bear · prune · wave · bore · pit

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bore — to tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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