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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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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: bat · charge · lie · bay · prune · perch · pitch · hand

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — the fish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — help
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — completely
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. charge — in control
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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