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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 116 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: stick · bulb · perch · face · pitch · band · suit · shower

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a music group
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. shower — to wash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — rain
  15. band — a ring
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. suit — clothes
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — part of the head

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