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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bore — to drill
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pit — a hole
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. game — a match

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