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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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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: deal · lean · safe · degree · perch · pitch · craft · leaves

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — boats
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lean — thin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. deal — to handle
  18. degree — temperature
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lean — to bend

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