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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. present — a gift
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — the time now
  9. bound — certain
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kid — to tease
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. present — there
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bound — tied together

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