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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · calf · pitcher · lash · racket · track · ball · perch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. track — a song
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — the fish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ball — a great time
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a dance
  24. calf — a young animal

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