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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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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 · suit · can · bowl · kick · prune · cell · pitch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cell — in biology
  13. suit — to fit
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. can — to be able to
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. can — a tin
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitch — completely
  24. suit — clothes

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