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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: drill · lash · pitch · ball · kid · court · perch · lean

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a great time
  4. drill — army training
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — the fish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — of law
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. court — of a king
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kid — child
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kid — to tease
  18. court — for sport
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. drill — the 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