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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fine — all right
  17. season — of the year
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. season — in sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — music
  24. degree — from a university

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