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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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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 · season · staff · band · foot · perch · rest · vault

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. degree — temperature
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. perch — the fish
  6. season — in sport
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. band — a music group
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. band — a ring
  13. foot — a measure
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rest — a break
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — of the year
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rest — what's left

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