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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 116 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: chip · lie · wake · prune · perch · pit · bass · capital

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — to recline
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. prune — to trim

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