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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: branch · coach · straw · pitch · vault · chest · wave · perch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chest — of your body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. branch — a division
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wave — with your hand
  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