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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spring — a coil
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — the season
  6. ground — a position
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spring — of water
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a hole

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