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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. perch — the fish
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mug — a face
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — a tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pop — to visit
  15. degree — an amount
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pop — soda
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mug — a cup
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pop — music
  24. mug — to rob

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