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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fine — high quality
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — a permit

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