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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. degree — an amount
  3. perch — the fish
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. degree — temperature
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rock — music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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