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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. object — to protest
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — a container
  7. mug — a face
  8. bass — low music
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pit — a hole
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — a thing
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — in a race
  20. object — an aim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tube — the underground

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