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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
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: track · calf · lie · pit · perch · bowl · date · pitcher

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — the fruit
  10. track — to keep track
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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