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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 120 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: pitch · swing · stick · mouse · stem · bound · wake · perch

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — to come from
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — certain
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. swing — music

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