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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: mark · fall · perch · pitch · safe · arm · straw · stand

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — a grade
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. perch — the fish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — the season
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mark — a trace
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — for spectators

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