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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 · pass · staff · arm · pitch · race · perch · ground

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. race — a contest
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ground — the earth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — a permit
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. perch — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — humankind
  24. pitch — completely

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