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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.

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: pit · stick · pitcher · staff · perch · fan · fall · dip

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pit — in a race
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fall — the season
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — a sauce

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