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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 · foot · board · kick · arm · mine · suit

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. suit — in cards
  10. board — a committee
  11. suit — clothes
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — to fit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. perch — the fish
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. mine — for digging
  24. perch — for a bird

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