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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. suit — clothes
  3. staff — a stick
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — to fit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pit — in a race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kid — child
  20. scale — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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