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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a match
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitch — completely
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ground — a position

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