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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: pitch · field · wave · cap · band · perch · cue · plane

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. field — for sport
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. field — a subject
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. band — a music group
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. perch — the fish
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. band — a ring
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cue — a hint
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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