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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. march — the month
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. foot — a measure
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. march — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fine — all right
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chest — of your body
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a partner

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