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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: band · swing · firm · mark · shower · perch · pitch · temple

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — rain
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. band — a ring
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — a grade
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — a company
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. swing — in golf
  17. shower — to wash
  18. firm — steady
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. band — a music group
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — 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