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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bound — certain
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — government
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — a law
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a hat
  24. perch — for a bird

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