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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 120 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: cap · perch · calf · foot · key · game · content · straw

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — in music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. game — a match
  16. content — the amount
  17. key — for a lock
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — of ice
  23. content — happy
  24. foot — a measure

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