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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 120 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: degree · perch · nail · prune · root · pit · present · face

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — the time now
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. root — the cause
  9. present — there
  10. root — of a word
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — in a race
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. degree — from a university
  20. present — a gift
  21. root — of a plant
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — a hole

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