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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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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: ruler · last · leaves · date · pitch · row · cap · perch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. row — a line
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — final
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. last — to go on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. last — finally
  21. pitch — completely
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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