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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: pitch · bear · perch · cabinet · mug · march · bank · calf

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. march — the month
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — the fish
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bear — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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