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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. court — of law
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cap — of ice
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cap — a hat
  12. court — for sport
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cap — a lid
  22. row — a line
  23. wax — to grow
  24. vault — a safe

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