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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 124 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. bound — tied together
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. content — happy
  8. object — a thing
  9. bound — certain
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — the fruit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. perch — the fish
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — obliged
  22. object — to protest
  23. sharp — clever
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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