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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
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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: perch · nail · court · file · rush · hide · mark · pit

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — of a king
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. file — a document
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a tool
  24. perch — the fish

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