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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: bass · deal · last · degree · hide · perch · content · nail

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — finally
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. degree — an amount
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — low music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. content — the amount
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — final
  12. content — happy
  13. degree — temperature
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — from a university
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — to go on

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