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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.

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: can · degree · row · perch · game · stick · rock · stem

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. perch — the fish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. can — to be able to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. row — a line
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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