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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: straw · spell · mug · bowl · ball · perch · pitch · wind

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — completely
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ball — a great time
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mug — a face
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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