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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · racket · rash · lie · pitcher · perch · bowl · present

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — there
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rash — a series
  12. lie — to recline
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — the time now
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. present — a gift
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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