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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: coach · bulb · perch · pitch · plane · season · calf · ground

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. season — in sport
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — the fish
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitch — completely

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