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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mark — a grade
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — clever
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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