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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. perch — the fish
  4. band — a music group
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a ring
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. suit — clothes
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. present — there
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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