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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 124 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bass — low music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rest — a break
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the fish
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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