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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: cell · present · bank · degree · pit · foot · perch · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — in a race
  10. present — there
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bank — for money
  15. degree — from a university
  16. foot — a measure
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cell — in biology
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — the time now
  23. perch — the fish
  24. foot — part of the body

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