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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. degree — an amount
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. degree — temperature
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. last — finally
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wound — an injury
  11. last — to go on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. degree — from a university
  18. present — there
  19. lie — to recline
  20. scale — in music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — the fish
  24. last — final

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