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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: toast · suit · rush · pitch · content · perch · degree · staff

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. toast — bread
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. content — happy
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. degree — from a university
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — completely
  12. staff — employees
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — a stick
  24. suit — to fit

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