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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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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: pitch · field · perch · lash · key · ruler · spring · wave

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. perch — the fish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — of water
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — in music
  23. field — for sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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