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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: pit · bank · date · perch · foot · fall · safe · bat

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. perch — the fish
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — a hole
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fall — the season
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — of a river
  24. foot — a measure

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