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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: saw · kick · pitch · trunk · march · stand · perch · bound

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stand — to bear
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bound — tied together
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kick — in football
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. march — music

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