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

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rock — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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