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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: perch · club · mouse · pound · suit · prune · net · trunk

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. net — after costs
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. net — in sport
  24. prune — to trim

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