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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.

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: perch · bear · object · spring · degree · foot · last · prune

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. object — a thing
  3. last — finally
  4. object — to protest
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — an aim
  8. last — to go on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bear — the animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — the season
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — of water
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. foot — a measure
  20. degree — an amount
  21. last — final
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. degree — from a university
  24. foot — the bottom

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