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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: mouse · staff · sharp · kick · file · date · pitcher · perch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. kick — in football
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. staff — employees
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. file — a document
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a line of people
  14. date — the fruit
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. perch — the fish
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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