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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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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: object · bound · stock · current · saw · perch · prune · fork

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. current — electric
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. object — to protest
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — an aim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — of water
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bound — certain
  24. stock — shares

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