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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.

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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: pitch · squash · straw · racket · can · perch · bowl · stem

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — the fish
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. squash — the sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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