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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · fan · drill · spell · stick · perch · bark · roll

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — army training
  3. degree — temperature
  4. roll — a list
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bark — to shout
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. roll — a cake
  14. degree — an amount
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. spell — a short time
  23. drill — the tool
  24. spell — letters

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