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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: can · perch · snap · net · lie · pit · board · bass

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to click
  9. bass — low music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bass — the fish
  14. board — a committee
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — after costs
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — for catching
  22. board — to get on
  23. perch — the fish
  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