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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bore — to tire
  5. perch — the fish
  6. land — to come down
  7. ground — a position
  8. kick — in football
  9. mug — a cup
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — ground
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mug — a face
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. land — a country
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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