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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — an amount
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to tire
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — government
  22. degree — from a university
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rule — a law

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