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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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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: date · jam · ground · straw · calf · perch · pitch · court

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitch — completely
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ground — a position
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. ground — crushed
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. court — of a king
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. perch — the fish
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. straw — dry grass

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