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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · pitch · tear · land · perch · rash · pass · mug

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without 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. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mug — a face
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mug — a cup
  6. land — ground
  7. pitch — completely
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. land — a country
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — to come down
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pass — a permit
  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