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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: foot · present · perch · bore · trunk · pitch · dip · wind

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. perch — the fish
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. present — the time now
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. present — there
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bore — to tire
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wind — moving air
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitch — a sports field

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