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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. firm — decided
  7. last — finally
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — steady
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. last — final
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — a company
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — wild animals
  24. last — to go on

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