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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. current — of water
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. date — the fruit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — a signal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. current — electric
  23. cue — for pool
  24. current — happening now

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