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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. perch — the fish
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — to paddle
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bear — the animal
  17. row — a line
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bore — to drill
  21. race — humankind
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  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