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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom got himself 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. mine — for digging
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — a container
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  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