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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: bulb · cap · pitch · squash · ground · rash · perch · calf

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. perch — the fish
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rash — a series
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. squash — the sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. squash — to crush
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a hat

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