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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 120 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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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — a line
  4. board — to get on
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. perch — the fish
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. board — a committee
  18. row — to paddle
  19. vault — a safe
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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