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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pit — in a race
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — of water
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — low music
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. patient — a sick person

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