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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: drill · degree · spell · racket · perch · last · arm · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. last — finally
  5. degree — an amount
  6. spell — a short time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. drill — army training
  11. last — final
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spell — magic
  17. degree — temperature
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — letters
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. last — to go on

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