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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. court — of a king
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pit — a hole
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — for sport
  10. scale — in music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — of law
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — to tire
  16. scale — size or range
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pit — in a race
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cap — a lid

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