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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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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: mouse · perch · stick · bay · pitch · present · mate · cue

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. present — there
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cue — a signal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cue — for pool
  20. present — a gift
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — the time now
  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