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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · perch · mine · pit · pitcher · leaves · lean · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. key — in music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — the fish
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — a hole

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