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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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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: perch · race · leaves · toast · pitch · bear · bank · face

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. race — a contest
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — to go away
  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