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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. file — a document
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — soda
  8. pit — a hole
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pop — music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pop — to visit
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. file — a tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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