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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · fine · temple · bark · wax · coach · bat · perch

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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 — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fine — all right
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — to grow
  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