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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: pitch · bear · net · firm · perch · lie · straw · mate

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — to recline
  6. net — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — the fish
  9. firm — decided
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mate — a friend
  12. firm — a company
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — for catching
  24. straw — a straw man

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