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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 120 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: pitch · mark · swing · calf · fan · stem · bowl · perch

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — to come from
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — to play on
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. swing — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. calf — a young animal

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