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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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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: pound · craft · pitch · sharp · dip · bear · perch · field

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. field — a subject
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. field — farmland
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pound — a weight
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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