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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — a hole
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bear — to put up with
  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