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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pit — a hole
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — the fish
  6. staff — employees
  7. shower — rain
  8. bass — low music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fine — all right
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fine — high quality
  20. staff — employees
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — a tin

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