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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: pitch · content · row · coach · charge · saw · perch · hand

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. saw — the tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — completely
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. content — the amount
  15. charge — a price
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — help
  18. content — happy
  19. row — a line
  20. charge — electricity
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. charge — in control

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