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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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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: march · wound · cue · foot · pitch · trunk · mouse · perch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cue — a signal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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