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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. race — humankind
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. perch — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. race — the arms race
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bass — low music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. row — to paddle
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a line
  24. race — a contest

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