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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tube — a container
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fine — high quality
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. toast — bread
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fine — all right
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pit — in a race
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pit — a hole
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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