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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: track · prune · cue · current · hand · fine · perch · foot

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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. track — a song
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — help
  8. current — of water
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — to keep track
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. foot — a measure
  16. track — a path
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. foot — part of the body

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