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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — happening now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — of water
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — electric
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. object — an aim
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chair — a leader

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