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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. object — a thing
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. object — an aim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. object — to protest
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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