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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. club — for golf
  9. bore — to drill
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. tube — a container
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — a group
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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