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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. row — a line
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. suit — to fit
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. game — wild animals
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pound — a weight
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. suit — in cards

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