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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — temperature
  6. perch — the fish
  7. degree — an amount
  8. firm — steady
  9. track — a path
  10. degree — from a university
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. firm — a company
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. object — to protest
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — an aim
  21. craft — a skill
  22. object — a thing
  23. track — a song
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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