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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. perch — the fish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spell — letters
  7. roll — a cake
  8. charge — in control
  9. row — a line
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spell — magic
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. charge — a price
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. roll — a list
  19. spell — a short time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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