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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tube — a container
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. toast — bread
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. tube — the underground
  16. firm — decided
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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