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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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. straw — a straw man
  4. content — happy
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stock — goods
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — a safe
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stock — shares
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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