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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: bear · mouse · row · mate · pop · degree · wax · perch

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mate — a partner
  5. row — a line
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pop — to visit
  17. degree — temperature
  18. row — to paddle
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mate — a friend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pop — music

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