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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: perch · racket · fan · land · pitch · lie · wake · temple

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. temple — a place of worship

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