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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — the earth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — to visit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tear — from crying
  12. march — music
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pop — soda
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ground — a position
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pop — music

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