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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: season · fork · bat · lean · jam · pitch · perch · wave

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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 — a sports field
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bat — the animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. season — of the year
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitch — completely
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lean — thin
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fork — in a road
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. season — in sport
  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