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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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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: perch · degree · land · suit · pound · current · prune · pitcher

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. land — to come down
  4. perch — the fish
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — a country
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. current — of water
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. current — electric
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — ground
  24. degree — an amount

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