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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: craft · mouse · lie · pitch · foot · present · squash · perch

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — to crush
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. craft — a skill
  12. squash — the sport
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — a gift
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lie — to recline
  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