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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — to fit
  5. club — for golf
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for dancing
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — a group
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — goods
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. suit — in cards

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