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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: bore · nail · bear · tube · calf · pitcher · perch · scale

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bore — to tire
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — the underground
  13. scale — in music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — a container
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bore — gave birth

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