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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — hasty
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — a tool

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