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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 120 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: pit · rush · perch · ground · chip · saw · present · hand

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. present — the time now
  5. pit — a hole
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. present — there
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — the earth
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ground — crushed
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chip — for betting
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pit — in a race
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hand — help
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — a thrill

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