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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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Word bank
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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: kick · board · season · stick · stem · track · calf · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. board — to get on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — to keep track
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — a song
  13. season — of the year
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. perch — the fish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. track — a path
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. season — in sport
  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