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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
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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: content · perch · trunk · stand · last · pitch · spring · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spring — the season
  5. content — the amount
  6. foot — a measure
  7. last — to go on
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pitch — completely
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — of water
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spring — a coil
  18. last — finally
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. last — final
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitch — a sports field

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