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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 120 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: present · prune · craft · perch · cue · calf · capital · stand

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. capital — a city
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cue — for pool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — money
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. craft — boats
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. craft — a skill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. prune — to trim

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