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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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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: swing · file · pitch · wax · bound · object · perch · hand

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. swing — in golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitch — completely
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — obliged
  10. file — a tool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. swing — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hand — in cards
  18. swing — to play on
  19. file — a document
  20. hand — help
  21. file — a line of people
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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