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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. can — to be able to
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bore — to tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — a tin

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