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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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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. degree — an amount
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — completely
  7. key — in music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rule — a law
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rule — government
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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