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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bore — to tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — the cause
  8. fall — the season
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a music group
  15. bore — to drill
  16. net — after costs
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — a hole
  21. net — in sport
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. band — a ring
  24. racket — for tennis

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