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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 · ball · pitch · perch · mug · kick · bulb · date

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. perch — the fish
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mug — a face
  5. toast — bread
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — in football
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. toast — the most admired

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