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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 116 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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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: mouse · game · net · perch · deal · degree · mug · plane

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. degree — temperature
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — an amount
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mug — a face
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. game — a match
  20. mug — a cup
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. degree — from a university

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