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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bass — the fish
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bore — to drill
  10. capital — a city
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — money
  15. rule — a law
  16. pit — in a race
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rule — government
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. perch — for a bird

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