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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — a safe
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. last — final
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — finally
  9. net — for catching
  10. perch — the fish
  11. suit — in cards
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. toast — bread
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. suit — clothes
  22. last — to go on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pit — a hole

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