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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mark — a grade
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — there
  9. mark — a trace
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. present — a gift
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. swing — music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. present — the time now
  24. staff — employees

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