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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: perch · net · game · bear · foot · drill · stick · row

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. foot — a measure
  3. drill — the tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. perch — the fish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — in sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. net — for catching
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — the animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — army training

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