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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.

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: arm · perch · pitch · drill · mouse · present · spring · rush

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. present — there
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitch — completely
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — army training
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. drill — the tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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