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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — a practice
  8. present — a gift
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. degree — from a university
  12. drill — army training
  13. object — a thing
  14. degree — an amount
  15. spell — letters
  16. present — the time now
  17. object — an aim
  18. present — there
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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