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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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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: degree · perch · lie · pitcher · row · pass · bank · pitch

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a line
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — to recline

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