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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — a group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pit — a hole
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. object — to protest
  7. season — in sport
  8. club — for golf
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. object — an aim
  11. season — of the year
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fall — the season
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. object — a thing
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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