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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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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 · pit · club · fall · cap · saw · bark · foot

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. saw — the tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fall — to drop
  14. club — a group
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. club — for dancing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. club — for golf
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fall — the season

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