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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — to protest
  4. fine — all right
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pit — in a race
  7. foot — a measure
  8. game — wild animals
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a match
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. object — an aim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. march — the month
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. march — music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — to tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to drill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. march — the month

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