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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — in a race
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — a company
  13. rule — government
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. drill — the tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitch — completely
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rule — a law

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