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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: perch · plane · game · pitcher · bank · calf · land · object

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. game — a match
  3. perch — the fish
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. object — a thing
  7. land — a country
  8. game — wild animals
  9. land — to come down
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — an aim
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. object — to protest
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bank — for money

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