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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · perch · can · date · mark · club · bat · prune

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. firm — a company
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — a group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — a trace
  9. firm — decided
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — a grade
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. club — for dancing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. date — the fruit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mark — to pay attention

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