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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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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: perch · fine · arm · stick · prune · ground · mouse · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ground — crushed
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ground — a position
  15. fine — all right
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bat — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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