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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
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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: tube · lie · perch · foot · spell · present · pitcher · date

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. foot — a measure
  9. present — a gift
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — the underground
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — the time now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — there
  18. tube — a container
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spell — magic

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