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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. firm — steady
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a song
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — a path
  12. court — of law
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kid — child
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kid — to tease
  19. firm — decided
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — a company

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