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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — after costs
  7. perch — the fish
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. net — in sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. degree — an amount
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. degree — from a university
  14. net — for catching
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pit — in a race
  18. branch — a division
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. jam — a tight spot

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