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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pit — in a race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. perch — the fish
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chest — a box
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pit — a hole
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. foot — a measure
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — in music

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