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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
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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 · pop · chip · straw · jam · degree · bulb · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — for betting
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. prune — to trim
  10. degree — an amount
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pop — to visit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. degree — from a university
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. perch — for a bird

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