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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: prune · straw · mug · bark · pitcher · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mug — to rob
  11. prune — to trim
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bark — to shout
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mug — a cup

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