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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 124 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. perch — the fish
  11. roll — a cake
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. roll — a list
  14. chip — to eat
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. calf — of the leg

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