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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. craft — a skill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. club — for dancing
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. club — for golf
  23. craft — boats
  24. club — a group

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