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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. pop — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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