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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. march — the month
  4. object — an aim
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. deal — to handle
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — to protest
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — a thing
  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