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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. spell — a short time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — the fish
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — an amount
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. degree — from a university
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — farmland
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — magic
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spell — letters
  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