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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — to bend
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pit — in a race
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. lean — thin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mine — for digging
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. march — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fork — in a road

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