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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. net — after costs
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spell — letters
  14. net — for catching
  15. bat — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. spell — magic
  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