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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — finally
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. perch — the fish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — a law
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rule — government
  22. pitch — completely
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. last — final

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