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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: swing · plane · perch · prune · object · track · tube · march

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — to protest
  4. track — a song
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — a tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. swing — music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. object — an aim
  12. track — a path
  13. march — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. track — to keep track
  16. perch — the fish
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — in golf
  24. object — a thing

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