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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. march — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. march — the month
  12. pop — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — to visit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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