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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — from a university
  7. dip — to sink
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. wax — to grow
  24. safe — a strongbox

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