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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: dip · track · hand · ground · rash · pitch · rock · perch

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rash — a series
  5. dip — to sink
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rock — a stone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — crushed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rock — music
  18. track — a song
  19. ground — the earth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — help
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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