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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: prune · perch · saw · craft · swing · cue · racket · track

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — to keep track
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — music
  19. track — a song
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — in golf
  22. craft — a skill
  23. track — a path
  24. racket — a loud noise

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