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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: staff · suit · row · kid · prune · bark · date · saw

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bark — to shout
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. suit — to fit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. row — to paddle
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — a line
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. suit — in cards
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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