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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a song
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. perch — the fish
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hand — help
  17. toast — bread
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. track — a path
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — to fit

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