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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. race — a contest
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — a position
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ground — crushed
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. race — humankind
  19. pit — a hole
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — the earth

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