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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.

Words on the sheet
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: march · pitch · perch · arm · roll · drill · lean · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. roll — a list
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. roll — a cake
  8. drill — the tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lean — thin
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitch — completely
  22. perch — the fish
  23. march — music
  24. drill — army training

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