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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: perch · pass · jam · march · pop · pitch · wind · squash

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wind — moving air
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pass — a permit
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. perch — the fish
  22. march — the month
  23. pop — music
  24. march — music

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