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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 · degree · present · rock · shower · bulb · chair · mouse

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. degree — temperature
  9. shower — rain
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. present — there
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — music
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — a gift
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. perch — the fish

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