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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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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: stick · pit · perch · board · bat · season · lie · file

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pit — in a race
  3. file — a tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pit — a hole
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. board — to get on
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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