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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: hand · pass · wake · stick · perch · pitch · mine · scale

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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. hand — in cards
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pass — to succeed

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