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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kick — in football
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. object — a thing
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. object — to protest
  16. pop — music
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. object — an aim
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. sharp — with an edge

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