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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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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: calf · toast · prune · saw · club · bat · stem · perch

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. club — for dancing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. perch — the fish
  16. club — a group
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. prune — to trim
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. club — for golf

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