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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. root — of a word
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cell — in biology
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — a phone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pit — a hole
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitch — a sports field

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