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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: pitch · calf · wake · mug · nail · hand · perch · stem

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. perch — the fish
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hand — in cards
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hand — part of the body

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