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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: stand · lean · date · net · bulb · bore · pitcher · perch

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bore — to drill
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lean — thin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — to bend
  20. date — the fruit
  21. net — for catching
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bulb — for light

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