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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 120 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: hide · pit · perch · bowl · nail · rash · land · can

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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