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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 120 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: calf · pitch · fork · tube · rash · deal · race · perch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rash — hasty
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — the underground
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. race — humankind
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rash — a series
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tube — a container
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fork — in a road
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — in a tire

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