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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ball — a great time
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. pit — in a race
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. last — finally
  15. suit — clothes
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. last — final
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spell — a short time
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a dance

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