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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.

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: perch · track · pitch · wound · firm · foot · key · mark

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — a measure
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pitch — completely
  7. firm — steady
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — a path
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — a grade
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — to keep track
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — a song
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. key — for a lock
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. key — in music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. foot — the bottom

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