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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. degree — from a university
  10. drill — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — army training
  15. scale — size or range
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. degree — temperature
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. scale — in music
  21. degree — an amount
  22. drill — a practice
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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