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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ground — a position
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bank — for money
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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