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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
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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: jam · row · band · sharp · degree · suit · pitch · perch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. band — a ring
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitch — completely
  10. degree — temperature
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. band — a music group
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. degree — an amount
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. row — to paddle
  23. band — a rubber band
  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