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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: perch · object · row · arm · roll · drill · date · pitch

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. object — to protest
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. drill — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. drill — a practice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a list
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pitch — completely
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. perch — the fish
  24. roll — a cake

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