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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: ball · firm · bear · perch · mouse · bore · calf · sharp

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ball — a great time
  6. firm — a company
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bore — to drill
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. firm — decided
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — clever

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