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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: net · pit · season · nail · perch · ground · trunk · rock

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — after costs
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — a stone
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. season — of the year
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — in sport
  21. pit — in a race
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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