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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stem — to come from
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. perch — the fish

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