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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bark — to shout
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. ball — a great time
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. perch — the fish
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. degree — temperature
  24. foot — a measure

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