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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.

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 · saw · pitcher · field · squash · row · deal · degree

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. degree — temperature
  3. squash — to crush
  4. row — to paddle
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. degree — an amount
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — a subject
  20. squash — the sport
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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