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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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. saw — the tool
  4. row — a line
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. degree — an amount
  10. charge — electricity
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. perch — the fish
  19. track — a path
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. charge — in control
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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