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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 124 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 · saw · present · ground · degree · stand · can · fork

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — crushed
  9. present — there
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — the time now
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. present — a gift
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — to be able to
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fork — in a road

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