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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: stick · bulb · perch · staff · degree · net · prune · current

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. net — in sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. staff — a stick
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. current — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. net — after costs
  11. staff — employees
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. prune — to trim
  18. degree — from a university
  19. prune — to trim
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. net — for catching
  24. current — electric

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