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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wax · stem · spell · pit · face · pitch · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — magic
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — after costs
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spell — a short time
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spell — letters
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. face — to point toward
  24. perch — the fish

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