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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: straw · fine · prune · bay · ball · fall · perch · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fall — to drop
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fine — all right
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fall — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ball — a round shape

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