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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: date · perch · prune · march · leaves · sharp · bowl · bore

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bore — to drill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to tire
  20. march — the month
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — the fruit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bowl — a dish

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