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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. kid — to tease
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a trace
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kid — child
  20. pit — in a race
  21. plane — a tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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