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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: fork · roll · mark · leaves · degree · present · perch · hide

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. roll — a list
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. degree — an amount
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — a grade
  13. perch — the fish
  14. present — the time now
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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