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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 116 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: cell · bat · pitch · saw · perch · trunk · bowl · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. perch — the fish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cell — a phone
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bowl — a football final

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