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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 120 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: sharp · perch · capital · temple · mouse · club · row · pitch

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. capital — money
  10. pitch — completely
  11. capital — a city
  12. club — a group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. perch — the fish
  21. row — to paddle
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. club — for golf
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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