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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spring — of water
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kid — to tease
  9. spring — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. perch — the fish
  13. foot — a measure
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. court — of law
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. court — of a king

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