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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.

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: pop · stick · can · land · mug · rest · degree · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mug — a face
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rest — a break
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — a country
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. land — to come down
  18. rest — what's left
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — music
  23. rest — what's left
  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