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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 116 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: pitch · bowl · stick · spring · mouse · bear · hide · perch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. spring — of water
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — for a bird

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