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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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468
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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. game — a match
  8. degree — an amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — to go on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. can — to be able to
  20. game — wild animals
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bowl — a dish

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