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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 120 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
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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 · bound · pop · calf · staff · scale · perch · plane

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bound — tied together
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pop — to visit
  9. degree — from a university
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. degree — an amount
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pop — music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bound — certain
  16. perch — the fish
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bound — obliged

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