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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.

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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: pit · hand · calf · perch · present · bulb · club · deal

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. present — the time now
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — there
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — to handle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — in cards
  17. club — a group
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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