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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: pitch · lie · perch · object · degree · season · kid · coach

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — to tease
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. season — of the year
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — in sport
  13. degree — from a university
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kid — child
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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