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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. date — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. degree — temperature
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a music group
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rule — a law
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a ring
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rule — government

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