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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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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: pitcher · perch · fall · stick · march · club · rush · rest

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fall — the season
  12. club — for dancing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. perch — the fish
  16. club — a group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — for golf
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — a break
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rush — hurry

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