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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — to handle
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — the cause
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. root — of a plant
  16. hand — in cards
  17. root — of a word
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stock — shares
  21. hand — help
  22. stock — goods
  23. deal — a big deal
  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