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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · pitch · scale · clip · bay · sharp · staff · perch

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. clip — for paper
  3. staff — a stick
  4. sharp — clever
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. scale — in music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. staff — employees
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitch — completely
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. perch — for a bird

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