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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: perch · spring · root · saw · degree · bore · board · pitcher

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a committee
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — temperature
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. perch — the fish
  11. board — to get on
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — to tire
  15. degree — from a university
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. root — of a word
  18. degree — an amount
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — the season
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bore — gave birth

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