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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · perch · pitcher · pitch · temple · leaves · clip · nail

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. clip — a video
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. clip — for paper
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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