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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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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pit — in a race
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — in a road
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — for a lock
  24. perch — for a bird

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