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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. firm — steady
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. craft — a skill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. firm — decided
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — a permit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — boats
  19. degree — from a university
  20. firm — a company
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mouse — the animal

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