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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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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: pass · pitch · fan · leaves · perch · coach · sharp · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitch — completely
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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