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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. cold — an illness
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — crushed
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cold — not warm
  14. perch — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. prune — to trim
  18. deal — to handle
  19. suit — clothes
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — low music
  23. suit — in cards
  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