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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a hat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chair — a leader
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kid — child
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cap — a lid
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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