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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
468
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: mark · degree · perch · drill · court · prune · date · season

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. prune — to trim
  5. drill — a practice
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. drill — the tool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. season — of the year
  12. degree — an amount
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. drill — army training
  15. court — of a king
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a grade
  18. degree — temperature
  19. court — of law
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — for sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. perch — the fish

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