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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pop — music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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