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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. track — to keep track
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spell — magic
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. track — a song
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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