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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bank — of a river
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. game — a match
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. game — wild animals
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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