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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ground — a position
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ground — crushed
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kick — in football
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — a penalty

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