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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — a song
  3. pop — to visit
  4. kick — in football
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pop — soda
  8. degree — temperature
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. track — a path
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — music
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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