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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bear — the animal

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