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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: perch · rush · pitcher · pit · net · wax · spell · cue

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — in sport
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spell — letters
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. net — after costs
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  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