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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. last — final
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. last — finally
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pit — in a race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — to go on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pound — a weight

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