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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: stick · bark · mouse · degree · stock · scale · prune · straw

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. degree — from a university
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — goods
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. scale — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stock — shares
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — to shout
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. scale — size or range

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