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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · sharp · tube · chair · mouse · cabinet · degree · perch

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tube — a container
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — the underground
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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