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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 116 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: saw · prune · pop · mate · fork · bound · perch · rush

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pop — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pop — soda
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — to visit
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rush — hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — obliged

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