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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 116 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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