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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · perch · game · bay · tube · pit · track · mug

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pit — a hole
  3. shower — rain
  4. tube — a container
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pit — in a race
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mug — a face
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. track — a song
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. track — a path

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