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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. degree — temperature
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. field — farmland
  5. pop — soda
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. degree — an amount
  9. present — a gift
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. present — the time now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. row — a line
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. degree — from a university
  24. present — there

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