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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mate — a friend
  5. scale — in music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cue — a hint
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. degree — from a university
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cue — for pool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. degree — temperature
  18. perch — the fish
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitcher — a jug

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