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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — thin
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pit — a hole
  6. perch — the fish
  7. degree — an amount
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chair — a leader
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bowl — a football final

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