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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: hide · perch · toast · pitch · hand · chair · bowl · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — help
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. toast — bread
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bowl — a dish

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