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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — employees
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — a stick
  13. perch — the fish
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. club — a group
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. club — for golf
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chest — a box

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