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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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 · suit · straw · march · prune · last · firm · degree

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. suit — to fit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. firm — steady
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — from a university
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — music
  11. degree — an amount
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. suit — clothes
  14. prune — to trim
  15. march — the month
  16. last — final
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. firm — decided
  19. degree — temperature
  20. last — to go on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — the fish
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — a company

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