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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: shower · jam · mug · content · game · perch · ball · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — to rob
  8. game — a match
  9. mug — a face
  10. content — happy
  11. game — wild animals
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ball — a great time
  15. shower — rain
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ball — a dance
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. calf — a young animal

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