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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 120 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: tube · stick · pass · pitch · row · club · swing · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — a permit
  3. row — a line
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. perch — the fish
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — a container
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pitch — completely
  20. row — to paddle
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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