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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · arm · perch · pit · vault · bass · nail · file

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — the fish
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rest — a break
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a document
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. file — a tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — in a race

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