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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — in a race
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. object — an aim
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. file — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rash — a series
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. file — a document
  21. object — to protest
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rash — hasty

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