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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: squash · pit · perch · coach · wound · calf · roll · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — the fish
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pit — a hole
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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