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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. firm — decided
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — the fish
  5. row — a line
  6. cue — for pool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. band — a ring
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. band — a music group
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. leaves — lets stay

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