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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: rock · perch · fall · pitch · calf · bound · leaves · pit

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fall — the season
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — in a race
  24. perch — for a bird

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