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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. can — a tin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. object — a thing
  6. spring — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. object — to protest
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — clever
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spring — the season

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