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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.

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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: pitch · last · wake · calf · perch · mark · craft · bound

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — final
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — finally
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. perch — the fish
  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