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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: leaves · prune · perch · pop · rock · foot · can · hand

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — to visit
  4. can — a tin
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rock — music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — soda
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — help

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