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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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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: rock · prune · kick · game · hide · stand · perch · mate

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. game — a match
  3. stand — to bear
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rock — a stone
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rock — music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kick — in football
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — wild animals
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. perch — the fish

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