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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: prune · fine · perch · bank · patient · racket · can · land

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — a tin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fine — all right
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bank — for money
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — of a river

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