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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: rush · pitch · rock · bowl · stand · perch · craft · race

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rock — music
  8. race — a contest
  9. perch — the fish
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rock — a stone
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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