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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · lean · bear · kid · calf · perch · pitch · firm

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — thin
  4. rock — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. firm — a company
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kid — to tease
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. firm — decided
  24. perch — for a bird

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