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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 116 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — to wash
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. shower — rain
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ground — a position
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — employees
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rash — a series
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — crushed
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — hasty
  24. can — to be able to

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