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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: wound · pitch · object · arm · court · perch · deal · bulb

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — for sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. court — of law
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. perch — the fish
  23. court — of a king
  24. object — an aim

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