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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — bread
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. degree — an amount
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pound — a weight
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chest — a box
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chip — to eat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. squash — the sport
  24. perch — the fish

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