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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: wound · racket · pitch · roll · pop · perch · present · squash

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — to visit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — a gift
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. present — there
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pop — soda
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. perch — the fish
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. roll — a cake
  19. present — the time now
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pop — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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