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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rush — hurry
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. scale — in music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. degree — an amount
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tube — a container
  16. scale — size or range
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. toast — bread
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. degree — temperature
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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