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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 · game · bore · pit · bank · toast · saw · perch

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bank — for money
  3. bore — to drill
  4. toast — bread
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. game — a match
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bore — to tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pit — a hole
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rest — a break
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. game — wild animals

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