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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. pitch — completely
  3. face — to confront
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a cup
  7. present — the time now
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mark — a grade
  10. last — to go on
  11. mug — to rob
  12. last — finally
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. present — a gift
  17. last — final
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mug — a face
  21. present — there
  22. kid — child
  23. face — to point toward
  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