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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: perch · pitcher · rock · net · file · safe · prune · mine

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rock — a stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. net — for catching
  19. file — a document
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. net — after costs
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a tool

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