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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. pit — in a race
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — a hole
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fine — all right
  23. perch — the fish
  24. band — a rubber band

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