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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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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 · key · clip · pitcher · pit · fan · cap · arm

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a lid
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a hole
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. clip — a video
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — of ice
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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