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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pop — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — temperature
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. degree — an amount
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. degree — from a university

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