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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. tear — to rip
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ground — a position
  7. track — a path
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tear — from crying
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ground — crushed
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ground — the earth
  22. band — a ring
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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