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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: key · prune · perch · trunk · bay · mine · bear · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. key — in music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mine — for digging
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. key — for a lock
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — belonging to me

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