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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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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: pit · rest · arm · staff · pitch · perch · face · bark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rest — a break
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. face — part of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to confront
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pit — a hole
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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