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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: land · mate · perch · suit · swing · calf · present · kid

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. suit — to fit
  3. swing — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — a country
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — there
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. swing — in golf
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kid — to tease
  13. perch — the fish
  14. land — to come down
  15. kid — child
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mate — a friend

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