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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: prune · rock · wake · perch · date · land · present · fork

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fork — in a road
  4. date — the fruit
  5. present — a gift
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. land — a country
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — there
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. land — ground
  24. prune — the fruit

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