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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · ruler · pitch · degree · perch · club

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. club — a group
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitch — completely
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — to go on
  16. club — for dancing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. degree — an amount

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