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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: ground · rush · swing · perch · pitch · pound · leaves · scale

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — crushed
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. scale — size or range
  21. perch — the fish
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rush — hurry

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