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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pass — a permit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — to handle
  11. tear — from crying
  12. court — of a king
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. court — for sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. court — of law
  21. fork — in a road
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. calf — a young animal

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