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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — to trim
  3. degree — an amount
  4. race — the arms race
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. pop — music
  8. degree — temperature
  9. perch — the fish
  10. firm — a company
  11. pop — to visit
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — in music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. race — humankind
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. key — the most important part
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pop — soda
  24. prune — to trim

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