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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
468
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 · kick · cap · perch · game · tube · craft · bark

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kick — in football
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. game — wild animals
  16. tube — a container
  17. game — a match
  18. perch — the fish
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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