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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: bass · perch · vault · net · bear · squash · stick · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. net — after costs
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. perch — the fish
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bass — low music
  19. net — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. vault — a safe
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. net — for catching

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