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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — in music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. key — for a lock
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. key — the most important part
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. perch — the fish

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