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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. object — an aim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — the fish
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. object — to protest
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spell — magic
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spell — a short time
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — in a race
  22. object — a thing
  23. game — a match
  24. spell — letters

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