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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. roll — a list
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — hurry
  8. roll — a cake
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mark — a trace
  17. perch — the fish
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. degree — from a university

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