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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: pitcher · key · kid · hide · can · perch · calf · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. perch — the fish
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. can — a tin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. key — for a lock
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for golf
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kid — child
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. key — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — a tin

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