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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. game — wild animals
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hand — in cards
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — a match
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitch — completely
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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