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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
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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 · fall · mine · stock · swing · date · mark · perch

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stock — shares
  12. fall — the season
  13. stock — goods
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — to play on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. swing — in golf
  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