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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: swing · prune · fork · current · saw · perch · wind · track

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. track — a path
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. current — of water
  6. perch — the fish
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. current — electric
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — happening now
  13. saw — the tool
  14. swing — music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. swing — in golf
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fork — in a road

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