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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: stand · present · calf · kick · pass · perch · chest · pitch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chest — a box
  4. present — there
  5. chest — of your body
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — in football
  13. pass — a permit
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stand — to bear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pass — to spend time

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