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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — in sport
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bark — to shout
  14. perch — the fish
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bowl — to roll

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