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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spring — the season
  6. degree — temperature
  7. drill — army training
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. drill — a practice
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — a price
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — of water
  19. board — to get on
  20. charge — in control
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. board — a committee
  24. degree — an amount

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