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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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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: bat · ground · perch · firm · pitch · toast · ruler · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — the earth
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bat — the animal
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. firm — a company
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. firm — steady
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. firm — decided
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — for measuring

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