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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — in a race
  7. scale — in music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. perch — the fish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — soda
  13. scale — size or range
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pop — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — to visit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lean — to rest against

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