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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cap — a lid
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spring — of water
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — music
  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