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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: degree · cabinet · prune · bank · pitcher · perch · game · straw

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — a match
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. degree — an amount

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