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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.

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: fan · spell · perch · pound · lash · pitch · firm · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitch — completely
  18. firm — a company
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. firm — decided
  24. perch — the fish

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