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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
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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: fan · march · net · fine · pit · perch · racket · last

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. last — to go on
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. march — the month
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. march — music
  11. last — finally
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — for catching
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. net — after costs
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fine — all right
  22. march — the month
  23. last — final
  24. fan — a supporter

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