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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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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — the earth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — for pool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a signal
  23. scale — in music
  24. march — the month

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