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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. shower — rain
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. track — a song
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — in a race
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. perch — the fish
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. track — a path
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — a weight
  24. track — to keep track

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