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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. band — a ring
  6. present — a gift
  7. row — to paddle
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mug — a cup
  10. degree — from a university
  11. present — there
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — ground
  15. row — a line
  16. land — a country
  17. bear — the animal
  18. present — the time now
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. perch — the fish
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. band — a music group
  24. land — to come down

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