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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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. clip — for paper
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. key — in music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. clip — a video
  19. perch — the fish
  20. clip — to cut
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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