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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: fine · prune · perch · temple · arm · bass · file · deal

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bass — the fish
  8. file — a document
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. file — a tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — to handle
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. arm — part of the body

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