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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pop — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. roll — a list
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pop — soda
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rock — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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