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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — in a race
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mark — a trace
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. charge — in control
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. shower — rain
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitcher — a jug

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