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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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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: rash · mine · perch · file · drill · pit · bear · present

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — the time now
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pit — in a race
  12. present — a gift
  13. file — a tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. present — there
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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