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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: suit · cap · pitch · board · spring · rest · perch · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cap — of ice
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. board — to get on
  11. perch — the fish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rest — a break
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a hat
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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