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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · safe · file · pitcher · pitch · saw · race · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — the season
  3. file — a tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. file — a document
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — the fish
  20. file — a line of people
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. race — the arms race
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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