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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.

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: season · mate · game · object · perch · rule · calf · can

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — to protest
  11. mate — to breed
  12. season — of the year
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. object — a thing
  19. rule — government
  20. object — an aim
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mate — a partner

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