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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. degree — temperature
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — there
  10. sharp — clever
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mate — to breed
  13. date — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. degree — an amount
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. present — a gift
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bark — to shout

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