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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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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: suit · tube · pitch · march · branch · row · perch · fall

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. row — to paddle
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. branch — a division
  7. perch — the fish
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. march — the month
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fall — to drop
  16. row — a line
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. march — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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