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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kid — child
  5. file — a line of people
  6. toast — bread
  7. foot — a measure
  8. kid — to tease
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. file — a tool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. calf — of the leg

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