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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: pitch · clip · craft · jam · foot · hand · tube · perch

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. clip — to cut
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. clip — a video
  8. craft — a skill
  9. foot — a measure
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitch — completely
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. clip — for paper
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hand — in cards
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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