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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 · lie · perch · pop · stick · race · game · mate

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. game — wild animals
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pop — music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — to breed
  11. race — humankind
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a match
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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