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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.

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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: land · kick · perch · mouse · degree · bay · tube · ruler

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kick — in football
  11. land — ground
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. land — a country
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. perch — for a bird

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