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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: perch · pitch · spell · fine · club · rest · mug · degree

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. degree — an amount
  3. spell — magic
  4. fine — high quality
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. club — for golf
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. club — for dancing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. club — a group
  24. perch — the fish

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