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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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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: mug · perch · calf · pitch · mate · rest · bowl · fall

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mug — to rob
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mug — a face
  12. rest — a break
  13. fall — the season
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — to breed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — the fish

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