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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: drill · suit · wound · perch · bound · staff · pitch · kid

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. perch — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — clothes
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bound — obliged
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bound — certain
  17. drill — the tool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — to tease
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kid — child
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bound — tied together

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