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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. last — final
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pit — in a race
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pit — a hole
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. last — to go on
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. shower — rain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — the animal
  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