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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bass — low music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ground — a position
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ground — crushed

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