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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.

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: perch · fork · bear · ball · mouse · prune · scale · calf

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ball — a great time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fork — in a road
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ball — a round shape

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