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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. present — there
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. present — the time now
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. capital — a big letter

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