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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rock — a stone
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mark — a trace
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rock — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. drill — army training

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