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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hand — help
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. kick — in football
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. perch — the fish
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — a company
  16. bound — certain
  17. firm — steady
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. firm — decided
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kick — with a leg

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