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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.

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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: kick · perch · pitch · temple · suit · dip · racket · pitcher

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitch — completely
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — a sports field

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