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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rock — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a document
  9. bore — to drill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — all right
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cell — in biology
  17. file — a tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cell — a phone
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cell — in a prison

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