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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.

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: key · pitch · chest · fall · ball · bulb · perch · track

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ball — a great time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fall — the season
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — a path
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — for light

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