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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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Word bank
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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: calf · degree · squash · mouse · swing · perch · firm · last

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. last — finally
  15. swing — in golf
  16. squash — to crush
  17. swing — to play on
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. last — final
  24. squash — the sport

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