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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. row — to paddle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rush — hurry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wake — a trail
  18. row — a line
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rush — a thrill

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