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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.

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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 · fork · prune · bound · squash · perch · pitch · jam

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bound — tied together
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bound — obliged
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — to crush
  17. saw — the tool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — in a road
  23. prune — to trim
  24. jam — in traffic

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