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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: prune · firm · perch · degree · roll · deal · mark · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — to handle
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. firm — steady
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. degree — an amount
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mark — a grade
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — the fish
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — decided

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