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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 120 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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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: snap · plane · degree · swing · pit · hide · pitch · perch

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. swing — to play on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pit — in a race
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. perch — the fish
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pit — a hole
  11. swing — in golf
  12. degree — from a university
  13. snap — to click
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — a tool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. degree — an amount
  24. perch — for a bird

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