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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — decided
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. degree — from a university
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bass — low music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kick — in football
  22. firm — a company
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ruler — a monarch

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