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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: perch · stem · pitch · pit · suit · key · wake · dip

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pitch — completely
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wake — a trail
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. suit — clothes
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stem — to come from
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. suit — in cards
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. key — in music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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