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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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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: cell · trunk · perch · suit · swing · staff · date · pound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — a phone
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — in golf
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. suit — to fit
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pound — to hit hard

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