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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: pit · kid · temple · perch · craft · object · jam · rash

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. kid — child
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — in a race
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. craft — a skill
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. object — to protest
  11. craft — boats
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — a series
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pit — a hole
  22. object — an aim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. jam — in traffic

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