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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: stem · pitch · perch · bear · roll · shower · charge · pop

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bear — the animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitch — completely
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. shower — rain
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. charge — electricity
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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