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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pop — to visit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — the fish
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. craft — boats
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — a skill

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