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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wind — moving air
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. roll — a cake
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — a list
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — completely
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pitch — a sports field

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