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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. foot — a measure
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — a price
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. charge — in control
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. charge — electricity
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — ministers

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