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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a song
  5. net — for catching
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. degree — an amount
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a path
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — music
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — a football final

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