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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. spring — of water
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spring — a coil
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — in a race
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. spring — the season
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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