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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stand — to bear
  8. foot — a measure
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wind — moving air
  14. march — music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wind — moving air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — completely
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. squash — to crush

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