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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.

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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pit — in a race
  9. row — a line
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. row — to paddle
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pit — a hole
  15. race — a contest
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — the arms race
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. race — humankind
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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