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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — a publisher
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — happy
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. content — the amount
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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