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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 124 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. season — in sport
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cap — a lid
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — a container
  12. season — of the year
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ground — a position
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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