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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: rule · pitch · tear · perch · mouse · face

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. face — part of the head
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — government
  5. face — to confront
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — a law
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tear — from crying
  18. face — to point toward

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