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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pit — in a race
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — a series
  14. fine — high quality
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fine — all right
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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