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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: pit · stick · bear · file · perch · branch · saw · pitch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a line of people
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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