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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cue — a hint
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. calf — a young animal

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