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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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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: net · dip · spell · charge · pit · perch

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — in control
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pit — in a race
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — a price
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pit — a hole
  16. net — in sport
  17. spell — magic
  18. charge — electricity

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