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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: cell · mine · nail · prune · bulb · stick · bat · perch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cell — in biology
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cell — a phone
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bat — the animal

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