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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cue — for pool
  12. degree — temperature
  13. suit — to fit
  14. race — a contest
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. capital — a city
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — an amount
  22. perch — the fish
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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