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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. 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 — for a bird
  2. degree — an amount
  3. suit — in cards
  4. toast — bread
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. spell — letters
  9. suit — to fit
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. suit — clothes
  13. degree — from a university
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. perch — the fish
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. 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