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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: club · last · perch · patient · row · craft · temple · prune

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. club — for golf
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. last — finally
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. craft — a skill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. perch — the fish
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. club — a group
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — to go on
  22. row — a line
  23. last — final
  24. perch — for a bird

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