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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 116 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: bear · net · drill · perch · court · lie · plane · pitch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. court — for sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. drill — army training
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. net — for catching
  17. court — of a king
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — of law
  20. drill — a practice
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. drill — the tool

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