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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — obliged
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a dance
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bound — certain
  10. wake — a trail
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — tied together
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — of water
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a great time

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