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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. present — a gift
  8. tear — from crying
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — the animal
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ball — a great time
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — happy

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