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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — in music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. tube — a container
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. scale — size or range
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bulb — of a plant

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