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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — a hat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cap — of ice
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — for digging
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cap — a lid
  24. safe — out of danger

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