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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: perch · bowl · ground · calf · bear · swing · cue · jam

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — a position
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. perch — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ground — crushed

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