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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: perch · pitch · court · sharp · leaves · rest · saw · dip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitch — completely
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — of a king
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. court — of law
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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