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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 120 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — a subject
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ground — crushed
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — to protest
  13. field — farmland
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. object — a thing
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. object — an aim
  22. squash — the sport
  23. field — for sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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