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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
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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: fine · perch · ball · pitcher · calf · hide · ground · bowl

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ground — a position
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fine — a penalty

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