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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
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: pit · bowl · racket · land · press · bore · fine · perch

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — to come down
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. land — a country
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — to tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. land — ground
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fine — all right
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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