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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: perch · nail · degree · bowl · ruler · clip · kid · arm

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — from a university
  8. perch — the fish
  9. clip — for paper
  10. kid — child
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. degree — temperature
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ruler — for measuring

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