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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rock — a stone
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — crushed
  21. club — a group
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ground — a position
  24. pit — a hole

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