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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: calf · perch · stand · branch · net · fine · pass · pitch

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. net — for catching
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. net — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — after costs
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stand — on your feet

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