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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · swing · can · prune · perch · season · tube · mouse

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. toast — bread
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — in sport
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. swing — to play on
  18. perch — the fish
  19. swing — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — a container
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. perch — for a bird

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