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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. roll — a list
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — in music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fork — in a road
  12. perch — the fish
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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