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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: season · perch · chip · pit · kick · lean · bowl · net

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chip — for betting
  4. season — in sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. season — of the year

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