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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
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: foot · date · wound · can · lean · pit · perch · net

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lean — thin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pit — in a race
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — after costs
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wound — an injury
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wound — an injury
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. foot — a measure
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. pit — a hole

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