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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chip — to eat
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. deal — to handle

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