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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — the season
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — soda
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  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