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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: fine · face · pitch · calf · cap · fork · degree · perch

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fork — in a road
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. perch — the fish
  11. face — to confront
  12. degree — from a university
  13. face — part of the head
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fine — all right
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cap — a lid
  24. calf — of the leg

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