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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: net · calf · branch · perch · pitch · chest · ruler · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. net — after costs
  5. swing — in golf
  6. perch — the fish
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chest — of your body
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. chest — of your body
  14. net — for catching
  15. chest — a box
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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