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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. staff — employees
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. staff — employees
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. degree — from a university
  21. staff — a stick
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. degree — an amount

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