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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: perch · mouse · can · cap · degree · scale · mate · rash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — a series
  11. scale — in music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. perch — the fish
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rash — hasty
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — to breed
  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