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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — in football
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kick — a thrill

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