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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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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: content · sharp · chip · tear · squash · calf · pitch · perch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. perch — the fish
  5. squash — the sport
  6. tear — to rip
  7. content — the amount
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. content — happy
  19. chip — to eat
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tear — from crying
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chip — for betting

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