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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. toast — bread
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — in a race
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. land — to come down
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. land — a country
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — to handle
  17. shower — rain
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. land — ground
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ruler — for measuring

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