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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lean — to bend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. last — final
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. perch — the fish
  7. last — finally
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lean — thin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — to grow
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. last — to go on

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