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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: present · board · file · tube · pitch · deal · temple · perch

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. board — a committee
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — completely
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — a gift
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. present — there
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. file — a tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. tube — the underground
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. perch — the fish
  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