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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — a container
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. degree — temperature
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tube — the underground
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. racket — for tennis

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