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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.

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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 · pit · firm · date · kick · bore · pitch · bank

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitch — completely
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. date — the fruit
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pit — a hole
  23. perch — the fish
  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