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

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lean — thin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. suit — in cards
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — clothes

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