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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · stick · pitch · staff · swing · rule

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rule — government
  3. staff — employees
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. swing — in golf
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — to play on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. swing — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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