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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · march · perch · lean · patient · mug · pitch · arm

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. march — music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — a face
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitch — completely
  24. patient — a sick person

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