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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: firm · perch · bulb · suit · band · pitch · stick · net

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — after costs
  6. suit — clothes
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a music group
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. firm — steady
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. suit — to fit
  16. firm — decided
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a ring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — in cards
  24. firm — a company

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