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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.

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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: game · lie · pitcher · wave · present · pit · perch · stick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pit — a hole
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. present — the time now
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — there
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. present — a gift
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. game — a match
  24. wave — with your hand

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