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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — a tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — in sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. degree — from a university
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — to handle

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