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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 · chest · lie · pitch · date · object · lean · stand

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lean — to bend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chest — a box
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — to recline
  12. object — a thing
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chest — of your body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. object — to protest
  19. stand — to bear
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. object — an aim
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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