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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: bay · net · wound · fine · perch · rash · present · pitcher

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. present — there
  5. fine — all right
  6. wound — an injury
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. perch — the fish
  11. net — after costs
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rash — a series
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. net — for catching

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