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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mug — to rob
  6. file — a document
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. file — a line of people
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mug — a cup
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. file — a tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bass — low music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — a face

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