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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to tire
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cold — an illness
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lean — thin
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bowl — a dish

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