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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: perch · pitch · net · hide · deal · file · pop · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a line of people
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pop — music
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pop — to visit
  23. file — a document
  24. deal — a big deal

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