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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · cabinet · pitch · toast · date · perch · suit · saw

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. suit — clothes
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wake — a trail
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. date — the fruit

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