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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — from a university
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a skill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. degree — an amount
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — to get on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — final
  19. board — a committee
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. foot — a measure
  23. staff — employees
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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