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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 116 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: rock · content · pitch · perch · lash · tube · coach · branch

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pitch — completely
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. tube — a container
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — the fish
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. content — happy
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — the amount
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rock — music

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