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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: lean · club · firm · wake · perch · prune · chip · staff

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. firm — a company
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — a stick
  6. firm — steady
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. chip — to eat
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chip — for betting
  13. firm — decided
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — a trail
  24. staff — employees

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