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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. roll — a list
  3. craft — boats
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — of water
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. spring — a coil
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. craft — a skill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spring — the season
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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