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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mark — a trace
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — the time now
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. present — there
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mug — a face
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. branch — a division
  23. present — a gift
  24. degree — temperature

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