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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — for catching
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — in sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. net — after costs
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chip — for betting
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pit — in a race
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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