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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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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: cabinet · safe · pound · pop · degree · swing · pit · perch

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. degree — an amount
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pop — soda
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pit — in a race
  20. swing — in golf
  21. perch — the fish
  22. degree — from a university
  23. swing — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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