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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. net — in sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ground — a position
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. perch — the fish
  24. board — a flat piece

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