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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. degree — an amount
  7. scale — size or range
  8. firm — a company
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. vault — a safe
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. degree — from a university
  17. perch — the fish
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — to grow
  23. firm — steady
  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