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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. degree — from a university
  6. perch — the fish
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chip — to eat
  10. firm — steady
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. shower — rain
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. firm — a company
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. shower — to wash
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — decided

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