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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: perch · bay · foot · face · mate · pitch · band · scale

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. foot — a measure
  4. band — a ring
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. perch — the fish
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. scale — in music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — to breed
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. face — to confront
  23. mate — a partner
  24. scale — for weighing

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