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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. file — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mug — a face
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. staff — a stick
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — to rob
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — a list
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cabinet — ministers

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