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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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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: pitch · perch · bulb · wound · cap · bay · bank · stick

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bulb — of a plant

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