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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: net · tear · perch · leaves · bear · pitch · content · pit

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — from crying
  5. net — in sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. tear — from crying
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — happy
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. net — after costs
  18. perch — the fish
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. net — for catching
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — in a race

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