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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 · perch · season · can · stick · last · ground · mouse

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. season — of the year
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ground — a position
  24. season — to add flavour

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