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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · tube · craft · calf · bat · pop · perch · court

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tube — the underground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. court — of law
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. tube — a container
  21. craft — boats
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bat — for baseball

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