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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. degree — from a university
  7. plane — a tool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. degree — temperature
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — an amount
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. suit — to fit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — decided
  24. nail — on a finger

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