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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitch — completely
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — a hat
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fine — all right
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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