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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: prune · fork · wound · stem · season · perch · wake · charge

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — in control
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — of the year
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — in sport
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. prune — to trim

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