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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a line
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — in a road
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — in sport
  22. row — to paddle
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fork — a garden 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