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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a signal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cue — for pool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — a hint
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. swing — in golf
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. swing — to play on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. swing — music
  24. perch — the fish

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