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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bank — for money
  3. track — a path
  4. fine — high quality
  5. swing — music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bank — for money
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rush — hurry
  12. swing — in golf
  13. degree — from a university
  14. perch — the fish
  15. track — a song
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — a face
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. track — to keep track
  24. degree — temperature

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