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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: face · sharp · ball · pitcher · trunk · pit · perch · lie

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — the fish
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. face — to confront
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. face — to point toward
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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