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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.

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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pass — a permit
  8. degree — temperature
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — the fish
  11. degree — from a university
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — the amount
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. content — happy
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to spend time

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