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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bear — the animal

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