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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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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — a gift
  14. degree — an amount
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — a trace
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fork — in a road
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. present — there

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