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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — for digging
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. bass — low music
  18. club — a group
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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