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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. track — to keep track
  7. swing — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chip — to eat
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. track — a song
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pass — a permit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chip — for betting
  24. leaves — lets stay

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