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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mark — a grade
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tube — a container
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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