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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: pitcher · pop · land · lash · drill · perch · bowl · foot

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pop — to visit
  11. drill — army training
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. land — ground
  15. perch — the fish
  16. land — to come down
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — soda
  19. land — a country
  20. drill — a practice
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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