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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — a short time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — a company
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. degree — an amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. band — a ring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — temperature
  18. firm — decided
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — steady
  24. band — a rubber band

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