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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — to rob
  5. present — the time now
  6. degree — an amount
  7. snap — to click
  8. present — a gift
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — wild animals
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rule — government
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — a cup
  17. present — there
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rule — a law
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mug — a face
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. game — a match

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