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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.

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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: perch · hide · race · leaves · chair · key · bore · degree

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. degree — an amount
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. key — in music
  6. race — humankind
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. degree — temperature
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. degree — from a university
  17. key — for a lock
  18. race — a contest
  19. chair — a leader
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — to tire
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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