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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: tear · squash · degree · rock · pit · fork · temple · perch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rock — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pit — in a race
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rock — a stone
  14. perch — the fish
  15. degree — an amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — a hole
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. temple — a place of worship

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