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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.

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: perch · pitch · foot · safe · coach · squash · land · nail

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. land — to come down
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. foot — a measure
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — a country
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — the sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — on a finger

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