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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: bank · board · file · pitch · ball · rash · perch · wound

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a committee
  3. file — a tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — of a river
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a dance
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a document
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — on the skin

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