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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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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: can · saw · plane · pitch · squash · perch · season · chip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. perch — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — in sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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