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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 120 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
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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: band · mouse · bowl · staff · craft · season · perch · degree

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. degree — from a university
  5. season — in sport
  6. degree — temperature
  7. band — a ring
  8. staff — a stick
  9. degree — an amount
  10. band — a music group
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. craft — boats
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. season — of the year
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. staff — employees
  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