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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · mug · perch · foot · trunk · cabinet · content · kick

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — a face
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — in a race
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — in football
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pit — a hole
  12. content — the amount
  13. mug — a cup
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mug — to rob
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. perch — the fish
  23. content — happy
  24. perch — for a bird

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