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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: pit · bank · perch · capital · race · date · pound · deal

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — in a race
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. race — humankind
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — a weight
  24. deal — a big deal

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