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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. net — for catching
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — the fish
  17. net — after costs
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. net — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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