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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: perch · degree · mark · bark · kick · pitch · bulb · stick

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kick — in football
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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