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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fine — all right
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fall — to drop
  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