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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: perch · saw · deal · snap · pitch · rush · pitcher · lie

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. snap — to click
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — hurry
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. saw — the tool

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