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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: pitcher · fine · present · kick · rest · net · perch · ruler

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — all right
  4. present — a gift
  5. net — after costs
  6. present — there
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rest — a break
  9. net — in sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. present — the time now
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — for catching
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ruler — a monarch

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