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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. roll — a list
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bound — certain
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chip — for betting

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