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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: dip · perch · bat · deal · board · clip · calf · mate

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. clip — to cut
  3. perch — the fish
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. bat — the animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. mate — a partner
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mate — a friend
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. board — a committee
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. clip — for paper

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