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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — in music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — a weight
  8. staff — a stick
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fall — to drop
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pit — a hole
  18. staff — employees
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fall — the season
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. key — the most important part

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