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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · pitcher · object · ground · club · pass · perch · arm

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — a permit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for golf
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. field — for sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. ground — crushed
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. object — a thing
  22. field — farmland
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ground — the earth

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