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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: present · perch · lash · pop · pitcher · wind · stand · pitch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — there
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pop — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. present — a gift
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. present — the time now

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