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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · straw · plane · tube · bear · mate · bass · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — a container
  3. bass — the fish
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mate — to breed
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — completely
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. perch — the fish
  24. plane — a tool

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