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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: object · stick · perch · wave · mouse · nail · tear · pitch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. object — to protest
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tear — to rip
  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