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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.

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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: firm · perch · cap · cue · row · band · pitch · object

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — the fish
  7. row — a line
  8. object — to protest
  9. cue — a hint
  10. band — a music group
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — a company
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. firm — steady
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. row — to paddle
  18. band — a ring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — an aim
  21. firm — decided
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cue — for pool
  24. object — a thing

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