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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — a song
  3. degree — temperature
  4. key — for a lock
  5. track — a path
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. key — in music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. degree — an amount
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. degree — from a university
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. key — the most important part
  22. deal — to handle
  23. perch — the fish
  24. coach — a trainer

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