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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
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: fine · march · bear · wake · prune · bore · ground · perch

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ground — a position
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fine — all right
  24. ground — crushed

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