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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — the fish
  10. court — for sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. court — of law
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. court — of a king
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mouse — the animal

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