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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. fall — the season
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. degree — temperature
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. roll — a list
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. degree — an amount
  24. perch — for a bird

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