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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: shower · row · pit · dip · wound · perch · sharp · jam

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. row — to paddle
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pit — a hole
  15. shower — to wash
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wound — an injury
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. perch — the fish
  22. row — a line
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. shower — rain

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