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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.

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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. net — after costs
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — in sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. craft — a skill
  10. land — ground
  11. degree — from a university
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. net — for catching
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. craft — boats
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — a country
  24. perch — for a bird

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