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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — what's left
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lean — thin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — magic
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spell — letters
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. scale — size or range

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