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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 120 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: prune · row · fan · suit · pop · shower · club · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pop — soda
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. club — for dancing
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. suit — in cards
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pop — music
  13. club — for golf
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — to visit
  21. perch — the fish
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — clothes

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