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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cue — for pool
  7. march — the month
  8. rash — a series
  9. march — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a hint
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rush — hurry

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