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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. scale — size or range
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. scale — in music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. board — a committee

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