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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: pitcher · spell · leaves · perch · ground · scale · swing · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ground — the earth
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spell — letters
  6. swing — to play on
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — magic

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