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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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468
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: chair · pitch · bark · scale · bank · perch · chest · rash

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chest — a box
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — a series
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. scale — in music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bank — for money
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — a sports field

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