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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 116 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: ball · deal · present · swing · prune · leaves · perch · lie

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. present — a gift
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — the time now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — the fish
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ball — a great time
  19. present — there
  20. swing — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in 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