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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mine — for digging
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rock — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a match
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. game — wild animals
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — the fish

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