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

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pit — in a race
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. object — a thing
  6. pit — a hole
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. track — a song
  11. shower — to wash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — to protest
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — rain
  20. track — a path
  21. perch — the fish
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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